Rosatom completes key reactor equipment for new floating nuclear power unit in Chukotka

The ZiO-Podolsk plant, part of Rosatom's machine-building division, has completed the fabrication of the second RITM-200S reactor unit. The equipment is destined for the PEB-106, a next-generation floating power unit (FPU) designed to provide electricity to the Baimsky mining and processing plant and its associated copper cluster in Chukotka. The unit has undergone control assembly and hydraulic testing to verify structural integrity and adherence to technical specifications.

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The PEB-106 is a mobile power plant housed on a barge. Its generation capacity is derived from two RITM-200S reactors, each producing 58 MW, for a total output of 116 MW. The RITM-200S is a modification of the RITM-200 reactor currently powering Project 22220 nuclear icebreakers, including the Arktika, Sibir, Ural, and Yakutia. This series is characterized by a footprint 1.5 times smaller than previous generations, a compactness essential for installation within the constrained hull of a floating power unit.

The production chain for the system is distributed across three Rosatom entities: OKBM Afrikantov in Nizhny Novgorod serves as the general designer; AEM-Spetstal in St. Petersburg produces high-precision metallurgical blanks; and ZiO-Podolsk handles the fabrication of the reactor vessel and final assembly testing.

The deployment of these units is a component of a broader industrial investment exceeding 1.1 trillion rubles. To fully power the copper cluster, four modernized floating power units are planned. This energy infrastructure is synchronized with significant logistics and transmission projects, including the construction of the Chaun port, a year-round road, and a 330 kV high-voltage power line stretching over 400 km from the port to the deposit via Bilibino.

The regional energy landscape is currently in transition. The Bilibino NPP is scheduled for decommissioning with fuel discharge in December 2025, while the Akademik Lomonosov floating power plant continues to supply Pevek and the Bilibino district. In addition to the PEB-106, plans are underway for the Shelf-M, the world's first small-capacity land-based station intended for the Sovinoye deposit.

While the reactor units are moving through the pipeline-the first was shipped to the shipyard in May 2024 and the second completed by September-the system's operational timeline is tied to the Baimsky plant's industrial launch in 2029. The use of modular floating units over stationary plants is intended to reduce deployment time and simplify logistics for future upgrades or relocation in the Far North environment.